Michael Carter, superintendent of Sinclair Community College, has been appointed to the… more

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A drone aircraft has been helping build video home tours for Derek Tye, president of the Tye Group, which is part of RE/MAX United Associates and operates out of the northeastern Cincinnati suburbs. And he says the help it provides shows the possibilities in another market segment of the unmanned aerial vehicle industry.

“There’s a whole new world of possibilities for what this tech can do,” Tye said of his aircraft, a Blade 350 QX Quadcopter. “You can see things from an actual POV perspective, and in 3-D.”

The quadcopter — toted as a hobbyist’s drone — can be operated with a traditional radio control and the attached GoPro camera with an iPhone app, which Tye said makes it more consumer friendly. And, he said it’s useful to film large properties and build a video tour of them for his company’s website and YouTube channel.

“It gives you a lot more possibilities than a traditional point-and-shoot,” he said, “You can see what your home would look like from above, or where the sunlight will shine — for some of the larger sites, it’s the only way to really see that whole property.”

The Federal Aviation Administration imposes strict regulations on unmanned aerial systems, requiring operators to obtain CoAs to fly certain models at certain sites. However, the Blade 350 QX falls more into the category of a traditional remote controlled model aircraft, which is subject to fewer restrictions. The tiny, 18-inch craft must be flown under 400 feet and away from schools, hospitals and other noise-sensitive areas.

More importantly, the FAA deems that UAS must be used entirely for commercial purposes, where Tye says he doesn’t charge anything for the videos he makes and uploads, and he still considers it a hobby.

Still, using the craft in this way is an opportunity to show what the possibilities could be for unmanned aircraft — and certainly cheaper than flying a helicopter around properties, he said.

“This tech is useful,” Tye said. “There are businesses out there that could use this tech and save a lot of resources.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTBeavercreek looks for new use for vacant land

Beavercreek is looking for other uses for a swath of available land after locals shot down the idea of a large housing development there.

Residents came out in droves to the Beavercreek Planning Commission Wednesday to voice opposition to the redevelopment of a 47-acre stretch of vacant land near the intersection of Shakertown Road and Grange Hall Road into a multi-family residential development with up to 243 housing units.

Redwood Acquisitions, based near Cleveland, sought to create high-end rental units on the site, but the city denied rezoning the land from single-family housing after over 100 residents came to the meeting to object, noting concerns with traffic.

“People made their opinions very clear,” said Jeffrey McGrath, planning director for Beavercreek. “We’re going to look at ways to redevelop that land as a whole moving forward, instead of piece-by-piece.”

The land was declared excess by Miami Valley Research Foundation and is currently used for farming.

McGrath said the city could consider a single-family housing development, senior housing or an assisted living concept on the land, but the plan for a multi-family development is effectively dead.

ON THE MOVE

Michael Carter, superintendent of Sinclair Community College, has been appointed to the board of trustees for the Dayton Region Manufacturers Association.

OVERHEARD

“I think that part of our job has improved significantly and let my organization focus its attention on accountability. ... We’re holding our customers accountable for the benefits they’ve received from JobsOhio or from us.”David Goodman, Ohio Development Services Agency director, on JobsOhio

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